Biography

The New York-based artist Gu Wenda has become one of the most high-profile members of the Chinese diaspora, his prominence fueled by a combination of talent and drive with an affinity for controversy. Gu Wenda left China in 1987, after vowing he would conquer the art world within a certain number of years. Evidently, his determination and confidence in his own abilities were well founded: he has succeeded in becoming an important figure on the international art circuit.

Since 1981, Gu Wenda has participated in numerous solo and international group exhibitions. The countries that have shown his work include China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Israel, Australia, Germany, Norway, France, Russia, the Netherlands, Italy, Britain, Mexico, Switzerland, Sweden, South Africa, Poland, Canada, and the United States.

His art has been included in newly written art history books such as: Marilyn Stokstad, Art History, Second edition; Harry N. Abrams and Prentice Hall, 2001, New York city; USA Art Today by Phaidon Press in London, Visual Art in the Twentieth Century by Abrams in New York, Tradition and invocation-Twentieth Century Chinese Painting by Hong Kong Museum of Art; Art and Artists of Twentieth century of China by University of California Press; Tradition and Change-Contemporary art of Asia and the Pacific by University of Queesland Press in Australia; and Contemporary Art History Of China by Shanghai People's Republic Press.

His art has also been widely discussed and reviewed by important international newspapers and journals such as: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chroniele, San Francisco Examiner, Times, Village Voice, Fegarol, The Australia, Vancouver Sun, South China Morning Post, Asian Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press. His arts have appeared in magazines such as: Art In America, Art News, Arts Magazine, Artists Magazine, Flash Art International, Asian Art News, Vogue, Esquire, Art Monthly, Art Nexus, Hong Kong Magazine, Colors, Third Text, Art Observation, Art + Text, Kunst AND Museum-Journal, Art And Asia Pacific, Music Today, Orientation, Asia Week, Asahi, Art Press, Beaux-Arts, D'Arts, Shanghai Culture, etc.

He has been featured and reviewed in television and radio programs world wide such as: BBC in Britain, PBS in United States, CCAC in China, Second National Television Station in Germany, national television and radio station in South Africa, Israel national television and radio station, Sweden national television and radio stations, Vancouver television station, etc. His art was included a cultural document film Under Wraps selected for Vancouver International Film Festival, Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival in New York, and nominated as the best cultural document file in Toronto International Film Festival in 1997. In 1999, the first broadcast series for national pubic television Art For The Twenty-First Century sponsored by the National Endowment For The Arts, Andy Warhol Foundation For The Visual Arts, The Rockefeller Foundation and The Foundation-To-Life, Wenda Gu's art was included among 40 some American artists.